The present invention relates to RF relays which can be directly connected to a printed circuit board, and in particular to remotely controllable RF relays which can be directly connected to a printed circuit board.
To the best of the Inventor""s knowledge this is a unique invention which has no predecessors. For certain commercial applications, for example, in the cable network broadcast industry, multiple RF relays are required to coexist in relatively close proximity with each other and with other elements, all on the same printed circuit board. Many devices in which the printed circuit boards containing the multiple RF relays and other elements have to be placed, have size limitations, because those printed circuit boards are intended to become part of a pre-existing network which only has a certain amount of space within which they can be placed. When multiple RF relays are connected to a printed circuit board in close proximity with other RF relays or with other signal carrying elements or with the conducting paths of the printed circuit board to which the RF relays are not attached, then RF signal leakage can occur between the RF relays and each of the adjacent other RF relays, other signal carrying elements, and/or the conducting paths of the printed circuit board. Signal leakage between RF relays and other things can often be a problem.
For example, in the cable network broadcast industry, typical prior art RF relays that connect to printed circuit boards require the addition of RF shielding walls and grounding screws. Having to add shielding walls and grounding screws obviously increases production costs and production time, both of which are matters that all industries consider a problem.
A further problem is created by the designing of many prior art RF relays to lie horizontally on printed circuit boards. The horizontal orientation of RF relays on a printed circuit board takes up many times the physical space as would be required if the RF relays could be vertically attached to the printed circuit board. Obviously, it is not simply a matter of turning a horizontally designed RF relay on its end and then attaching it vertically to the printed circuit board, or the engineers would not be so foolish as to continue to attach them horizontally and thereby lose many times the space on the printed circuit board that they would have lost if they attached them vertically.
One object of the invention was to design a printed circuit board attachable RF relay that could be vertically attached to a printed circuit board.
A second object of the invention was to design a printed circuit board attachable RF relay that provided such a high degree of RF signal containment that shielding walls and grounding screws would only be minimally required or not be required at all.
A third object of the invention was to design a printed circuit board attachable RF relay would have a very good impedance matching.
A forth object of the invention was to design a printed circuit board attachable RF relay the cost of mass production of which would not be prohibitive.
A fifth object of the invention was to design a printed circuit board attachable RF relay that would meet all of the above four objects and still be relatively small.
The objects of the invention are accomplished by the invention of a circuit board connectable RF relay that is connectable to a printed circuit board, which printed circuit board has a ground and has multiple conducting paths, wherein the circuit board connectable RF relay is comprised of: a metal housing that is able to be grounded when the circuit board connectable RF relay is connected to a printed circuit board; a first RF signal input/output means, which has a first end and a second end; a second RF signal input/output means, which has a first end and a second end; and wherein there is a cavity in the top portion of the metal housing, which cavity is called the upper cavity, and wherein there is a cavity in the bottom portion of the metal housing, which cavity is called the lower cavity; and wherein there is an aperture in the top end of the upper cavity; and wherein the first RF signal input/output means is located in the upper cavity such that its first end is continuous with the aperture in the top end of the upper cavity, and its second end is continuous with the lower cavity; and wherein the second RF signal input/output means is located in the lower cavity such that its first end extends beyond the bottom of the bottom portion of the metal housing, and its second end is situated farther within the lower cavity, and its second end is not in direct conductive contact with the second end of the first RF signal input/output means; and an impedance loading contact; and an RF signal connection means that has a first control signal input, called the first control signal input, and that has a second control signal input, called the second control signal input, and that has a conductive moveable contact member, which RF signal connection means is situated in the lower cavity such that its conductive moveable contact member is able to be placed simultaneously in conductive contact with the second end of the first RF signal input/output means and the second end of the second RF signal input/output means, and such that the conductive moveable contact member of the RF signal connection means is able to be placed such that it does not provide a conductive path between the second end of the first RF signal input/output means and the second end of the second RF signal input/output means and that it does provide a conductive path with the impedance loading contact; and an upper electrical insulating element in the upper cavity which prevents the first RF signal input/output means from coming into conductive contact with the metal housing; and a metal bottom housing cover through which a portion of the first control signal input and through which a portion of the second control signal input can each non-conductivly pass; and a lower electrical insulating element which is centrally located within the metal bottom housing cover, which lower electrical insulating element electrically insulates the second RF signal input/output means and the impedance loading contact from the metal bottom housing cover; and a means for securing the bottom end of the bottom portion of the metal housing to a printed circuit board; and a means for connecting the first control signal input to a conducting path of the printed circuit board, when the bottom end of the bottom portion of the metal housing has been secured to the printed circuit board; and a means for connecting the second control signal input to a conducting path of the printed circuit board, when the bottom end of the bottom portion of the housing has been secured to the printed circuit board.
The instant invention accomplishes its first object by the creation of a circuit board connectable RF relay that is designed to have its bottom end attached to a printed circuit board, and thereby be mounted vertically on a circuit board. The instant invention accomplishes its second object through its metal housing, its inner insulating elements, and its conductive moveable contact member that becomes grounded when the circuit is open. In combination those components provide sufficient signal containment that shielding walls and grounding screws would only be minimally required or not required at all. The instant invention accomplishes its third object by the creation of a circuit board connectable RF relay that minimizes the path discontinuity between the first RF signal input/output means and the second RF signal input/output means. The fourth object of the invention is accomplished, because when the instant invention is mass produced its cost of production will not be prohibitive. The fifth object of the invention is accomplished, because the design of the instant invention meets all of the first four objects while allowing the printed circuit board attachable RF relay to remain relatively small.